Jolt for MNS as 4 ex-legislators join BJP: Raj Thackrey calls on Maharashtra CM Fadnavis

The Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) on Tuesday received a jolt as four of its former legislators and key lieutenants of the party chief today joined the ruling BJP. The MNS leaders who switched over to BJP are its former MLAs Pravin Darekar, Vasant Gite, Ramesh Patil and Kashinath Mengal. Maharashtra BJP president Raosaheb Danve inducted the four former MLAs along with some former office-bearers of zila parishads and panchayat samitis into the party. [caption id=“attachment_1787003” align=“alignleft” width=“380” class=" “] MNS chief Raj Thackeray. AFP[/caption] The BJP said it was open to induct more workers from other parties as a part of its drive to enrol one crore members in Maharashtra. Darekar was known to be in Thackeray’s inner circle and was one of the senior most leaders in the MNS, while Gite was instrumental in establishing the party’s stronghold in Nashik. Today’s development will add to the woes of MNS, which had drawn a blank in the 2014 general elections and won only one seat in the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly last year as opposed to 13 seats in 2009 polls. Danve said the new entrants have come to the BJP fold due to their faith in the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party chief Amit Shah. To a query on corruption charges against Darekar, he said, “There are mere allegations and nothing has been proved. Once corruption is proved, that person will no longer remain in BJP.” Asked if BJP will induct more activists from other parties, Danve said, “If anyone from other parties is willing to join BJP, we will discuss it within the party and then take a decision.” Gite told reporters after the event that he had no grudge against Raj Thackeray and was joining BJP only to work with a national party. “I have worked with MNS, which is a regional party and now I want to work for a national party,” Gite said. Meanwhile MNS chief Raj Thackrey met Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis earlier in the day, reportedly worried over the defections. “Lately, the MNS has received several jolts with the exit of party leaders who were with Raj Thackeray since the beginning. These leaders have all come together to join BJP, one of the main rivals of MNS. To prevent more defections, Thackeray met Fadnavis,” one of the MNS leaders who joined the saffron party today said. However, asked about the meeting, senior MNS leader Bala Nandgaonkar said Raj Thackeray was “a self-made man” and he did not need to meet the Chief Minister over “trivial” issues. “Raj Thackeray formed the MNS when he had nothing. Do you think he would meet the CM over such a trivial issue? These people who got inducted had resigned a month back anyway,” Nandgaonkar said. Thackeray met Fadnavis to discuss issues related to school education, including the increasingly heavy school bags, and the two did not discuss any party-related issues, Nandgaonkar said. PTI